Fern Flower
Published on February 12, 2020

Olysya

Regions of expansion

Russia 1
Russian Federation

Description

Ideas about Olysya in the mythology of the peoples of the Komi Republic correspond to the Russian ideas about the home, the spirit-owner of the house and outbuildings for cattle. Its main function is to ensure the well-being of all the inhabitants of the house and livestock. For example, there was a belief that if a widow with young children was not cow the spirit of the house-owner brought her to the barn and milk for the children was provided. But to see the cow could only be the mistress, for others it was invisible. According to another legend, if the cattle were starving for lack of food, he sent her a bundle of hay, which itself was rolling down the street and was in the barn, although its doors were closed.

If there was something hurt, then it is night, "pressed" sleepers: they had nightmares, in the chest after the dream was heavy, or he wore them in her sleep hair and licked his forehead. Unloved horses spirit nights confused mane and drove them to the stables.

A clear idea about the appearance of this house of the spirit did not exist, usually it was invisible, but could appear in anthropomorphic form: the grandfather or women, in the form of a grey cat or dog in a furry lump, etc.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»

Olysya in popular culture